It's no secret that January always feels like the longest month of the year.
With the expense of Christmas, and many who are paid monthly having to wait almost six weeks for the first pay day since the festive season, people in Burton, Uttoxeter and South Derbyshire will have found themselves crawling towards the end of the month.
However, with less than a week until February 1, many will be looking to book a much-needed trip away, whether for a favourite musical festival or a holiday abroad.
And thrill-seekers could be in luck - loan provider Wonga has revealed three top tips to save money in 2018.
When's the best time to book a flight?
Book in advance or hold your nerve and book last minute - the jury is still out on the best time to book a holiday for the lowest price.
However, research by Skyscanner has revealed that the best time to book popular flights from East Midlands Airport tend to vary.
The trick is to try and be flexible when looking to book a trip away. Try searching the 'whole month' instead of a specific date and travel websites will often show the cost of flights for every day of that month, including the cheapest and most expensive.
The best times to book for popular destinations from East Midlands Airport, on average, were found to be:
● East Midlands Airport to Alicante – seven weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Amsterdam - 24 weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Dublin - 12 weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Edinburgh – five weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Fuerteventura - four weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Gran Canaria Las Palmas – days before
● East Midlands Airport to Lanzarote - days before
● East Midlands Airport to Malaga – seven weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Menorca - six weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Tenerife – seven weeks before
● East Midlands Airport to Venice - four weeks before
Update your holiday wardrobe
Winter is in full swing and the last thing we are thinking about is buying flip flops and bikinis, but planning ahead and getting clothes out of season could end up saving some serious cash.
Retailers will offer great discounts on old-season stock as they clear out their warehouses ready for the new collections.
Keep an eye out for the January sales and discount sections both online and in store to grab the best bargains. Stick to basics such as vest tops and denim shorts to make sure items will still be in style later in the year.
Buy this year's festivals at last year's prices
Many UK events are selling tickets at last year's price for a limited period of time, with most 2018 festival tickets now on sale.
But which events are really the best value for money? And which 2018 events should you be buying a ticket for?
By comparing festival ticket prices against the cost of seeing the Saturday main stage acts on their own tours, the research carried out by Wonga calculated how much people saved.
The Isle of Wight Festival came out on top as the best value festival.
With the overall average ticket price of 2017's Saturday main stage bands totalling a staggering £275, music fans saved £210 on their festival ticket compared to paying to see each band individually.
Parklife in Manchester was the least cost-effective festival to attend, with the average total ticket cost of the Saturday acts £113. With a daily cost of £65, punters saved the least of the big festivals: just £48.
Latitude topped the list for the most expensive Saturday night headline act, with tickets to Mumford and Sons' most recent UK tour averaging £65.
They were followed closely by Eminem, the headline act for Reading and Leeds festival, with an average ticket cost of £64.
Let us entertain you
Arcade Fire, the main event on Saturday for Isle of Wight attendees, were third most expensive: tickets for their upcoming UK stadium tour average at around £63.
James McMaster, head of marketing in the UK at Wonga, said: "Summer is one of the most expensive times of the year, with so many events across the UK to attend and holidays to organise.
"By planning ahead, Burton residents can get some brilliant discounts on everything from flights to festival tickets, so they really can make the most out of 2018."
The best value for music festivals, including Download, are:
| Festival Name | 2017 weekend ticket cost, per day | Combined average cost of concert tickets for Saturday main stage bands | Money saved |
| Isle of Wight | £65.84 | £275 | £209.96 |
| Wireless | £53.34 | £248 | £195.56 |
| Reading and Leeds | £71 | £259 | £188.85 |
| Kendal Calling | £33.75 | £179 | £145.25 |
| Lovebox | £63.13 | £191 | £127.89 |
| V Festival | £94.50 | £208 | £113.85 |
| Bestival | £45.25 | £144 | £98.75 |
| Download | £65 | £163 | £98.45 |
| Green Man | £47.25 | £143 | £96.35 |
| Latitude | £65.84 | £150 | £84.76 |
| Parklife | £65.73 | £113 | £48.17 |
